Back to the Piddle Valley
Took another walk with C. and her Manchester Terrier, through the beech woods above Briantspuddle, and down into the Piddle Valley.
A rather gloomy start to the day, but it was pleasantly cool weather for walking.
Along the quiet lane to Throop, where the hedges are wound about with all manner of twining things: hops, and bindweed, and tufted vetch.
A green footpath by the river, at Throop. In the distance, every so often, a tremendous splash. This puzzled me at first, but round a bend in the river we met a man with a labrador, and all became clear.
Manchester Terrier poses very reluctantly with her toes in the water.
Onto the bridleway that runs from Turner's Puddle to Tolpuddle.
It may have been a signpost once, but now it's a lichen-post. The Piddle Valley is very damp indeed.
We avoided the path back to Briantspuddle across the fields (did that last time, got my walking boots full of water. Lesson learnt.) Came back along the lane instead.
River Piddle at Briantspuddle.
Outside the village shop, there was a sign with a large red teapot on it. By chance, we happened to be passing on a Saturday morning when volunteers from the village sell tea and home made cakes in the village hall. So we sat outside in the little sheltered courtyard to enjoy refreshments.
Um. Maybe I should have photographed the coffee and walnut cake before I started snaffling it down?
Just after we finished our tea, the heavens opened and we ducked under the porch of the village hall. But the rain only lasted a minute - just long enough for C. to get her coat out of her backpack. Then the cloud broke, and the sun shone, and it was warm. Time to head back up through the shady woods to the car park at Culpepper's Dish.
